WEEKEND READING • Allen Lockington on Rugby and Seed Farms • The New Navosavakadua and the Supposed Threat to i'Taukei Identity.
Opinion by Croz Walsh More than a year ago, Suliasi Daunitutu, the president of the Australia-based Fiji Democracy Freedom Movement he helped to found, was calling for the re-instatement of the 1997 Constitution, the re-instatement of judicial officers appointed under that system, and the re-instatement of the Great Council of Chiefs. And he still does so, almost every day, on Facebook's Fiji Economic Forum and a covey of anti-Bainimarama government blogsites.
In 2009 on the Matavuvale blog, he called upon "the people of Fiji... to be vehement about our total disagreement with the military regime. So give us liberty or death! The reality of the issue is that democracy in Fiji has been raped...from top to bottom...left to right....inside and out and vice versa!
In 2010, in the Solivakasama blog, he called on "Divine intervention, for a complete and through victory."
In 2011 he claimed his movement was gaining momentum with the flight into exile of Ratu Tevita Mara. But their membership and impact seems to have stalled. Overseas governments are not listening to them. And in Fiji there have been no protest marches, calls from the pulpit, or defections from the military, public service, the judiciary or government.
2012. There have been hickups in the leadup to dialogue, and government, in my opinion, has acted unwisely in the TV Decree and in granting only a limited licence to FijiTV, but most people are hoping the Constitution Commission will start the ball rolling towards a fairer Fiji and fair elections in 2014.
In a recent Facebook exchange I asked Suliasi whether he or the FDFM would be making any submission to the Constitution Commision. No, he said, because it's illegal and he does not trust the process. Fair enough. That's his choice. But the regime is a reality. The ball may not be over the line but it's no use saying the ref made the wrong call.
And if Suliasi and others like him want to have any impact on outcomes, they could insist their concerns are addressed by the Constitution Commission. If the concerns are genuine, they will be listened to. They will be shared with many other people in Fiji.
But if the concerns are disguises, like the ones he expresses on all possible blog sites (namely, a return to extreme ethnic Fijian nationalism, an intolerant Chistianity and the manipulation of democracy that led to the 2006 Coup) I can see why he and the FDFM are not making any submission.
They have no place in a democratic Fiji.
8 comments:
So croz
Is there a place in your 'democratic Fiji' for dictators and military thugs? At the moment under this current regime Fiji is anything but democratic and would appear to be moving further away from democratic freedom and rule of law at an alarming rate?
'But the regime is a reality', yes but so is corruption, rape, murder, theft and racism. Presumably we accept those as well? Actually apartheid was a reality, so was communism,fascism and the taliban. The 'reality' is you don't appear to accept any opposition to the regime and you to any lengths to critcies others motives and history , but never to keen to analyse the very obvious flaws in a military dicatorship. (Which i note you are loathed to call as such)
Thank you Croz for the opinion piece. They scream about everything that is wrong in Fiji but do absolutely NOTHING to move the country forward. And I can already anticipate the replies to this 'Oh but you are an illegal regime....etc' If you don't want to be part of the process then don't complain about the outcomes, its a simple at that!
Croz, firstly are you talking about two people here - Suliasi and Suliana? Do check the entry, please.
!@ Kai Gau ... Vinaka. A slip not a sex change.
Qarase govt was practising extreme ethnic Fijian nationalism and manipulating race, religion and democracy to divide Fiji.
People like Dictator 'democracy' and anonymous 4:21 never protested. They were probably cheering from the sidelines.
The coup put halt to the ethnocisation of Fiji, which seems to have closet-racists like Suliasi up in arms.
Indians did not come to Fiji on their own accord. They were brought here. Those Indians that can are getting out. Indian numbers are declining fast. You will have your ‘Fiji for Fijians’ soon.
Indian birth-rates have been lower than Fijian birth-rates since the late 60s. How does this fit ‘Indian takeover of Fiji theory’, can someone please explain? Indos are down to 37 per cent per cent of the population; in another 20 yrs they will decline by another 10 per cent.
Fiji has always belonged to the Fijians and always will.
Semi-educated people like Suliasi are ill-informed hate-mongers propagating imagined threats to i'taukei identity. Biggest threat to i'taukei is lack of progress in education, marijuana consumption, alcoholism and high prison population.
Why isn’t anyone addressing these issues? Why are Fijians facing these problems on a proportionately higher level than other races? Especially when Fijians have always ruled the country. Whose failure is it? Parents? Church? Chiefs? Govt? Or are the Indians to blame?
Really, what have fact cat church leaders been doing? Too busy consorting with politicians? Chasing senate positions? Angling for hefty govt grants? Too preoccupied preaching hatred from the pulpit? Too busy blaming the obvious scapegoats, Indians?
Young Fijians in jail is the biggest threat to culture and lotu, and causing immense pain in Fijian families and problems in Fiji as a whole. Suliasi's mob will better serve their people if they devote their energies to this 'real' problem rather than 'imagined' threats based on paranoia and romanticism and over-glorification of culture while hypocritically enjoying nice lifestyle in western country.
If you so concerned about culture Suliasi, why not go back to your cultural homeland Fiji? Why not practice what you preach? Instead of making empty, high faulting statements, engaging in political rhetoric and and blaming others, why don’t get down among your people and do something substantial for a change?
Problem with people like you and many Fijian leaders is they are full of talk, no action; conveniently blame Indians to divert attention away from own failures; that’s why no real progress seen despite holding the levers of power and controlling natural resources since independence.
Please dispense with the tedious, out-dated Indian bogey myth. Indian threat, if there ever was one, is long gone. This is now a struggle between elite Fijians for wealth and power.
Suliasi, your racial prejudice is so strong you can't see how your own leaders have commandeered native resourcesfor their own benefit even though it so staring you in the face. Or you don’t have the balls to confront this issue – you are bullyboy and a demagogue who can only target Indians based on a lifetime of practice.
Go and do some research about Q10 Investment Limited. Tackle real issues, otherwise you are a waste of time for everybody, including your own community, with your backwardness.
Croz, thanks for publishing iTaukei identity posted by me.
I hope this is not out of line, but is it possible for you to post this, or a link to this, on the Fiji Economic forum on Facebook and any other relevant blogsite? It would be nice if Suiasi and like-minded people to see this.
I am only asking you because I am not a facebook member by choice.
Thanks.
These would be the same pro military regime people that can rationalize their version of 'improving democracy' by oppressing their own people, muzzling media, intimidating opponents and all while holding a straight face and not even willing to hold themselves to any accountability or reform themselves. Also while threatening still, any dissenting voices.
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